2 Corinthians 12:16
But granting that I myself did not burden you, I was crafty, you say, and got the better of you by deceit. ESV

Are you testing the spirits whether they are of God?

Did you have skepticism for all preachers, evangelists, prophets, etc. because of an unpleasant experience you had with one? If so, you could miss out on the opportunity to be blessed. It is true, there are those who use the work of the Lord as a gimmick and scheme to get money.

Jeremiah 23:16 These are the words of the Eternal, Commander of heavenly armies. Eternal One: When these prophets “prophesy” to you, filling you with empty hopes, do not listen to one word! They do not speak for Me. They speak of visions they have only imagined. (The Voice TVT)

There are those who want to pull you away from the Lord, so you will follow them.

Matthew 24:24 For there will be imposters falsely claiming to be God’s ‘Anointed One,’ and false prophets will arise to perform miracle signs to lead astray, if possible, those God has chosen to be his. (The Passion Translation TPT)

There are those who don’t have to pull you away because they simply tell you want you want to hear.

2 Timothy 4:3 For the time is coming when they will no longer listen and respond to the healing words of truth because they will become selfish and proud. They will seek out teachers with soothing words that line up with their desires, saying just what they want to hear. (The Passion Translation TPT)

There is nothing you can or should do about them unless God directs you to. Make sure you are hearing Him clearly and you are not just acting out of emotions. What you can do is deal with you. Ask the Lord to increase your discernment.

Hebrews 5:14 But solid food is for the mature, whose spiritual senses perceive heavenly matters. And they have been adequately trained by what they’ve experienced to discern and emerge with understanding of the difference between what is truly excellent and what is evil and harmful. (The Passion Translation TPT, edited)

Then ask Him to help you discern who is working for the kingdom and who is working for themselves.

1 John 4:2-3 By this you may know (perceive and recognize) the Spirit of God: every spirit which acknowledges and confesses [the fact] that Jesus Christ (the Messiah) [actually] has become man and has come in the flesh is of God [has God for its source]; 3 And every spirit which does not acknowledge and confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh [but would annul, destroy, sever, disunite Him] is not of God [does not proceed from Him]. This [nonconfession] is the [spirit] of the antichrist, [of] which you heard that it was coming, and now it is already in the world. (Amplified Bible, Classic Edition AMPC)

Finally, rust the Spirit of God within you.

1 John 2:27 But the wonderful anointing you have received from God is so much greater than their deception and now lives in you. There’s no need for anyone to keep teaching you. His anointing teaches you all that you need to know, for it will lead you into truth, not a counterfeit. So just as the anointing has taught you, remain in him. (The Passion Translation TPT)

Be a blessing and receive your blessings as the Lord leads you. There is a saying, “Don’t throw out the baby with the bath water.” Do not discard something valuable in your eagerness to get rid of some useless thing associated with it. Sometimes you are sincere, however, you are sincerely wrong. Would you want all Christians to be judged by a mistake you made?

Please agree with me as I pray:

Father, I’m grateful for every experience I have had with the men and women of God. There have been times when some experiences were not as good as all the rest. I have even taken a break, a time or two, yet I never gave up. I repent for purposing in my heart to take one terrible encounter and throw everything away. Thank You for keeping me. Thank You for leading me to think about each situation. Thank you for showing me the lessons I needed to learn. Either I had the experience because it was on the path You set for me or because I wandered off and chose to be there. Whichever is true, Your power brought victory out of what seemed to me to be defeat. Thank you for increasing my relationship with You and intensifying my discernment. I have learned and continue to learn from each encounter. Each time, You give me instruction. You tell me what to do or what not to do, what to believe and what to discard, what is meat and what are bones. You are in control; I repent for the times when I forget. Thank You for being there. Thank You for reminding me. I am so glad You order my footsteps…

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Ask the Lord what He wants to say to you about today’s devotional and journal His response as described here.